Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-09
CALF ORNlA.


Another Interesting Letter From the
Golden Land.
To the Editor of the Republic:
SANTA ANA, Cal. June 2j.-A jouruye
10 San Diego, more than halt of which was
overland and the remainder by rail. devel-
oped some facts which may be Of interest
Ia your readers.
Leaving Santa Ana about o'clock in the
afternoon, accompanied by Clark county
man and two Others. with two guns and a
supply OF ammunition, We drove southeast
through the Santa Ana Valley. across
Juan canyon 10 the village OF San Juan
Capistrano, distance of twenty five
miles from here. Several rabbits and other
game came in range of the guns, to their
sorrow, but much ammunition was wasted
upon useless objects that attracted the at
tenti0n of the marksmen.
San Juan Capistrano. one of the oldest
Catholic missions on the coast. is snugly
tucked in a delightful and fertile valley
about three miles from the mouth of the
canyon. The village and its surroundings
contain about 800 inhabitants most of
whom are Spaniards and MeXicans. The
most noticeable feature OF the place
is the fact that not doctor lives in the vii
lage, although il is twenty-five miles from
the nearest town.
Adobe houses. well filled with '.grpas-
ers." art most nun erous, the inhabitants
of which are under the influence of Don
Juan Foster. who lives in large brick
house and owns most of the lands within a
radius of from six to thirty miles, and the
Catholic priest.
A Spanish mission was inaugurated here
more than century since and the present
building used by the Catholics as their
place of worship was built in 1872. Ii is
an adobe, with tile roof and quaint in
architectural design. Upon the occasion of
the dedication Of this house OF worship in
1872 during the service. the walls of the
main auditorium gave way, precipitatng
the heavy tile roof upon the audience,
killing all except the priest, whose life was
saved by the arch above the chancel pre-
venting its falling. The number killed
was in the neighborhOod of one hundred
The ruins of the building have not since
been disturbed.
Here were seen some OF the finest fruit
and English walnut orchards on the coast
and olive trees over one hundred years old
were pointed out 10 lis. Within the past
two weeks two of the most promising fruit
ranches between the village and the coast
have been sOld-One of forty-fve acres for
$40. 900. and the other containing fifty acres
for SIS, 900 From the walnut orchard of
eleven acres, on the latter, the owner real
lied last year an income of $1,000. and he
now has stock OF Norman horses raised
on the place worth from $500 to S450 each.
At the mouth of San Juan canyon the
Pacific Land Improvement company have
plated. and s"on will have upon the mar
ket, the lots of San Juan by the Sea The
location is admirable, and as il is backed by
the 4. Il. 4 5. +. railroad and managed BY
Holabiri, who inalgurated the successful
land scheme on Coronado beach at San
Diego. its success is assured.
From the latter place the road we took
lies between the beach and the bluffs, some
OF which rise 10 a height of several hun
dred feet ere We reached point San Mateo,
the southern point in Los Angeles county
distant from Santa Ana thirty-tve miles,
and from the city of Los Angeles sixty
eight miles. Point San MateO presents
fine location for town site, but the lands
are bNHtl ny Ion D uhn roster ana flOOt
Il O'Bryan and cannot be bought at their
present value. The latter parties own all
the land from the above point Ia Oceanside,
a distance of thirty miles. with All extent
back from the coast varying from twenty To
over hundred miles.
We arrived at Oceanside during the after
noon of the second day out, and took the
train there for San Diego. Oceanside is
the fayorlte summer resort of San Bernar.
dino, Cotton and Riverside people Al
though il Is not yet two years old, it is one
of the most popular resorts on the coast and
will be alive with visitors from this time
on. 1t has permanent population of
about six hundred and during the summer
season it has floating population OF at
least double that number.
A hne large fran. hotel is being erected,
which will be ready Tor guests next month.
1t stands within a stones throw of what is |
10 be one of the finest bathing
beaches in America. A large brick bank
ing building Is being erected, as well as
number of business blocks, while cottages
and dwellings are going up in all parts Of
the town. The back country is extensive
and fertile. Four miles from Oceanside !
the Spanish mission OF San Luis Rey in the